Humayun Ahmed (হুমায়ূন আহমেদ) (13 November 1948 – 19 July 2012) was a Bangladeshi writer, dramatist, screenwriter and filmmaker. Ahmed got his breakthrough with his debut novel Nondito Noroke in 1972. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh. Ahmed's writing style is characterized as magical realism. Ahmed's books were the top sellers at the Ekushey Book Fair during the 1990s and 2000s. He won the Bangla Academy Award and the Ekushey Padak award for his contribution to Bengali literature.
In the early 1990s, Ahmed emerged as a filmmaker. He went on to make a total of 8 films - all based on his own novels. He received six Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films Daruchini Dwip, Aguner Poroshmoni and Ghetuputra Komola.
Early life and background
Ahmed was born in Kutubpur, Mymensingh to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed (1921–1971) and Ayesha Foyez (née Khatun) (1930–2014). Foyzur served as a sub-divisional police officer in Pirojpur District and was killed during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. In 2011, politician Delwar Hossain Sayeedi was put on trial for the killing but was acquitted of the charge in 2013 for lack of evidence. Humayun's brother, Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, is a writer and academician. Another brother, Ahsan Habib, became a cartoonist. He had three sisters – Sufia Haider, Momtaz Shahid and Rukhsana Ahmed.
In childhood Ahmed lived in Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong, Dinajpur and Bogra, where his father was on official assignment.
Education and early career
Ahmed studied in Chittagong Collegiate School. He eventually passed his SSC examination from Bogra Zilla School in 1967 and was listed as second in merit on the Rajshahi Education Board. He passed his HSC examination from Dhaka College in 1969. Then he attended University of Dhaka and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and later with a Master of Science degree. After his graduation, he worked as a lecturer at Bangladesh Agricultural University for six months before joining Dhaka College to teach Chemistry.[citation needed] Soon after, he went to the United States to earn his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from North Dakota State University.
Works
Novels
Ahmed’s debut novel Nondito Noroke was published in 1972 while he was still a university student. From the very first novel, he brought into play the aspirations of average middle-class urban families and portrayed the quintessential moments of their lives. His second novel was Shonkhonil Karagar.
Ahmed’s novels featured some book series with recurring characters like Himu (15 novels), Misir Ali (10 novels) and less frequent, Shubhro. He wrote several novels based on Bangladesh Liberation War – Aguner Poroshmoni, Srabon Megher Din and Jyotsna O Jononir Golpo. His romantic novels included Badol Diner Prothom Kodom Phool, Noboni, Aj Dupure Tomar Nimontran and Tumi Amai Dekechhile Chhutir Nimontrane. Ahmed wrote four autobiographies - Hotel Graver Inn, Amar Chelebela, Rong Pencil and Fountain Pen.
Television and Film
Ahmed's first television drama was Prothom Prohor (1983), directed by Nawazesh Ali Khan. His first drama serial was Ei Shob Din Ratri (1985). It was followed by the comedy series Bohubrihi (1988), the historical drama series Ayomoy (1988), the urban drama series Kothao Keu Nei (1990), Nokkhotrer Raat (1996) and Aaj Robibar (1999). Besides, he made single episode dramas including Nimful notably.
Ahmed directed films based on his own stories. His first film, Aguner Poroshmoni, based on Bangladesh Liberation War, won the National Film Award in total eight categories, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director. Another film Shyamal Chhaya was also based on the same war. His last directed film, Ghetuputra Kamola, was set in the colonial period − the story was about a teenage boy.
Shyamol Chhaya and Ghetuputra Kamola were selected as the Bangladeshi entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006 and 2012 respectively, but were not nominated.
Ahmed also wrote songs for few of his own films and plays. Some of the notables are titled as Ami Aaj Bhejabo Chokh Somudrer Joley, Chadni Poshor Ratey and Amar Achey Jol. In 2009, Ahmed served as a judge on Channel i's reality talent show Khudey Gaanraaj.
Personal Life
Ahmed married Gultekin Khan in 1976. Together they had three daughters, Nova, Shila and Bipasha, and one son, Nuhash. Shila Ahmed went on to become a television and film actress. In 2003, Ahmed divorced Gultekin and married actress Meher Afroz Shaon in 2005. He had two sons from the second marriage, Nishad and Ninit.
Cancer and Death
Ahmed had open heart surgery at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. Few years later, during a routine checkup, the doctors found a cancerous tumor in his colon. On September 14, 2011, he was flown to Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for treatment. During his stay in New York City, he wrote a novel, Deyal, on the life of the first President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In January 2012, he was appointed as a senior special adviser of Bangladesh Mission to the United Nations. On May 12, 2012, he returned to Bangladesh for two weeks.
He died on July 19, 2012 at 11.20 PM BST at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. After resolving a tension in his family over the selection of burial site, he was finally buried in his estate Nuhash Polli.
Other interests
Filmography
Bibliography
In Bengali
In English
- 1971: A Novel. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Mowla Bros. 1993. ISBN 9789844100138.
- In Blissfull Hell. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Somoi Prokashan. 1993. ISBN 9789844580459.
- Gouripur Junction. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Anyaprokash. 2007. ISBN 9789848684382.
Awards
- Ahmed signing books (2010)
- Lekhak Shibir Prize (1973)
- Bangla Academy Award (1981)
- Shishu Academy Award
- Jainul Abedin Gold Medal
- Michael Madhusudan Medal (1987)
- Bacsas Prize (1988)
- Humayun Qadir Memorial Prize (1990)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Story (1994)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Film (1994)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Dialogue (1994)
- Ekushey Padak (1994)
- Sheltech Award (2007)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Screenplay (2007)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Director (2012)
- Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Screenplay (2012)
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